BearingPoint research finds trust, not money will decide success of “the Cloud”

Frankfurt / London, December 05, 2012 – Since the earliest days of the City, trust has been paramount. So how does the trader’s motto “My word is my bond” translate in the Cloud Computing age?

Management and technology consultancy BearingPoint (www.bearingpoint.com) addresses the issue in this year’s series of BearingPoint Institute reports. “In Cloud we trust?” examines how trust matters in computing as much as it does in business.

The Cloud has been touted as the future of technology for years. As an IT Megatrend, Cloud Computing is already well established. Market share is solid and future prospects are promising. But the Cloud remains dogged by fears over data security, reliability and compliance. The temptation of near infinitely scalable resources at comparatively inexpensive cost held back by issues of risk and control. The result is stalemate, as enterprises remain uncertain whether they should commit to Cloud-based service delivery models.

BearingPoint’s research was commissioned to find a way forward. Their “Cloud Trust Pyramid” sets out what organisations should be looking for in their partnerships with Cloud service providers and how companies need to structure their own journey towards the Cloud. This paper also explores the geographical aspects of sourcing from cloud providers, with a map indicating the level of data protection from a European perspective.

Report co-author, BearingPoint Partner Stefan Pechardscheck says “In the robust, binary world of Cloud Computing, trust is a fragile and imprecise variable, yet one of overwhelming importance. Trust is the red line issue when it comes to moving processes into the Cloud. By looking at operating models, security, accessibility, compliance and data privacy around the world, we have created definitive practical guidance for companies assessing what Cloud Computing can do for them.”

From costing flexibility and agility gains to the impact of shifting IT workloads and transitioning of CapEX to OpEX, this BearingPoint Institute research offers practical advice and guidance applicable to companies around the globe - advising on how to build a cloud strategy, pointing out which processes and applications are most suited to the cloud, helping to evaluate the right cloud computing provider and then advising on how to migrate and transform the client IT infrastructure.

Trust, like the cloud, knows no borders and this work from the BearingPoint Institute is the map to a successful outcome.

For more information and to order a copy of the BearingPoint Institute Report please visit: In Cloud we trust?. Here you find also a video presenting the key findings of this article.

The BearingPoint Institute

Founded in 2009, the BearingPoint Institute is an incisive, authoritative voice on business-critical topics, which brings together the finest minds from both within and outside the BearingPoint organisation. We strive to:

Advise business leaders to understand the evolution of the global economy at a deeper level

Propose new points of view about strategy and organisational change, and stimulate debate among its readership

This is achieved by offering practical, real-world advice from:

A leadership team composed of senior BearingPoint Partners, representing geographical diversity and a wealth of capabilities

An independent Advisory Board formed by recognised business leaders and academics

Studies made by experts illustrated with real-life highlights

About BearingPoint

BearingPoint delivers business consulting with management and technology capabilities. As an independent firm with European roots and global reach BearingPoint serves leading companies and public sector organisations world-wide to align and optimise processes, IT and operating models with business strategy. Driven by a strong entrepreneurial mindset and desire to create long-term partnerships, BearingPoint’s consultants are committed to delivering excellence and value to their clients. The firm’s approach to working with clients is highly collaborative and designed to improve business performance, from strategy through to execution. BearingPoint currently employs 3,500 people in 15 countries.